ITALY'S EU PRESIDENCY: READOUT ON EU-UKRAINE SUMMIT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 004663

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/WE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2013
TAGS: PREL ECON UP IT EUN
SUBJECT: ITALY'S EU PRESIDENCY: READOUT ON EU-UKRAINE SUMMIT

REF: STATE 281770

CLASSIFIED BY: POL MINISTER COUNSELOR TOM COUNTRYMAN. REASON: 1.5 (B)(
D).



1. (C) POST PASSED POINTS REFTEL TO THE MFA EU OFFICE AND NIS
OFFICE ON OCTOBER 3. ON OCTOBER 8, SILVIA COSTANTINI FROM
THE MFA'S OFFICE OF EU EXTERNAL RELATIONS TOLD POLOFF THAT
WHILE THE OCTOBER 7 UKRAINE-EU SUMMIT IN YALTA WAS SUCCESSFUL
IN ADVANCING A NUMBER OF ISSUES RELATED TO UKRAINE'S
INTEGRATION INTO EUROATLANTIC INSTITUTIONS, MUCH OF THE
MEETING WAS CONSUMED WITH TAMPING DOWN THE UKRAINIAN SIDE'S
INSISTENCE THAT THE EU PROVIDE AND ACKNOWLEDGE PUBLICLY A
MORE RAPID SCHEDULE FOR FULL EU INTEGRATION.


2. (C) COSTANTINI SAID THAT UKRAINE WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH
ITS STATUS AS A MEMBER OF THE "WIDER EUROPE-NEIGHBORHOOD"
INITIATIVE, AND WANTED A MORE ROBUST ACCORD ALONG THE LINES
OF THE BALKANS STABILIZATION AND ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT TO
DEFINE THE UKRAINE-EU RELATIONSHIP. EU TROIKA
REPRESENTATIVES PROMISED TO ASSIST UKRAINE (ALONG WITH
MOLDOVA AND BELARUS) WITH THE INTEGRATION PROCESS UNDER
CURRENT STRUCTURES.


3. (C) COSTANTINI SAID THAT THE PRESIDENCY DID NOT
CRITICIZE UKRAINE'S PARTICIPATION IN THE SINGLE ECONOMIC
SPACE (SES) PER SE, BUT INSISTED THAT ANY ECONOMIC
ARRANGEMENTS IT ENTERS INTO COMPLY WITH EU AND WTO DIRECTIVES
AND GUIDELINES, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE WIDER EUROPE FUNDS WHERE
APPROPRIATE. THE PRESIDENCY ASKED FOR MORE DETAILS ON SES
OBLIGATIONS AND WHAT IT MEANT FOR CONTINUED ECONOMIC REFORM.


4. (U) ACCORDING TO COSTANTINI, THE OTHER DETAILS OF THE
SUMMIT ARE SPELLED OUT COMPLETELY IN THE JOINT STATEMENT
AVAILABLE ON THE PRESIDENCY WEBSITE. SEPTEL WILL REPORT
RESULTS OF THE BILATERAL ITALY-UKRAINE SUMMIT, WHICH TOOK
PLACE THE FOLLOWING DAY, OCTOBER 8, ALSO IN YALTA.
SEMBLER

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2003ROME04663 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL